Seax Wicca
Seax Wicca is a tradition founded by Raymond Buckland in 1973 and is detailed in his book ‘The Tree - The Complete Book of Saxon Witchcraft.’ This path follows the practice of the Anglo Saxon traditions, including Germanic Gods and Goddesses such as Woden and Freya. Raymond Buckley was a Gardnerian before founding Seax so numerous Gardnerian traditions are used in his book and within coven meetings. Buckley left the Gardnerian tradition as he wanted to create a coven where only the Anglo Saxon Gods and their traditions were used as a base for coven meetings. Unlike Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca you do not need to sign a secret oath to join a Seax Coven; in fact they are very open and welcoming to anyone interested in the tradition.
Dianic Wicca
Dianic Wicca is a feminist form of Wicca that is only for women, with its followers worshipping the Roman virgin hunter Goddess Diana. Founded by Zsuzsanna Budapest in the 1970s, this path follows the traditions of Gardnerian or Alexandrian Wicca. It has covens but they do not allow males and do all their ritual workings with only the High Priestess. Diana the Goddess is worshipped as all powerful and the source of all living things.
Hereditary Wicca
Hereditary Wicca pertains to those born into a Wiccan family and brought up within the Wicca tradition. This can come from any form of Wicca in which the family follow. If the family are involved in a coven then often the child will be given a choice around the time of their teenage years, where they can choose to join the coven or follow their own spiritual path.
Eclectic Wicca
About 70% of Wiccans are Eclectic, meaning they do not follow any specific Wicca tradition but instead choose the Gods and Goddesses they wish to worship, whether they be Norse, Egyptian, Roman, Greek or any other. Alternatively, they may worship them all believing they are all the same Gods and Goddesses but have been known by different names within different civilizations. Eclectic Wiccans are usually solitary in their practice of Wicca, celebrating Esbats and Sabbats at their own altar at home. However, there are many covens and groups for Eclectic Wiccans, where they choose their own way of convening meetings.
Solitary Wicca
Solitary Wicca is the fastest growing form of Wicca. As the name suggests, a solitary Wiccan does not belong to any coven or group. They may follow the one God and Goddess or they may follow all of the Gods and Goddesses. Solitary Wiccans celebrate Esbats and Sabbats and have their own altars at home for worship. They are mostly Eclectic Wicca that shun away from covens and specific traditions, preferring instead to make their own journeys and discoveries and follow their own spiritual path.
Faery Wicca
Faery Wiccans place emphasis on Faery lore or the Fae as they are known. These aren’t the cartoon type of Faery such as Tinkerbell but sprites who keep everything balanced and moving in nature. The Faery has an extensive history in Britain, Ireland and the rest of Europe - and in lands whose natural beauty is still largely unspoiled, belief in faeries, sprites and elves remains strong. Faery Wiccans claim their beliefs originate from the early Celtic traditions of Tuatha De Danann.
Draconic Wicca
Draconic Wicca places emphasis on Dragons and Dragon lore. Dragons and their lore are ancient and have been worshipped, feared and talked about in almost every ancient culture in history. Artwork and cave drawings of such creatures have been found that bear striking resemblances to each other, and yet originate from cultures that had never connected with each other. Dragons are invoked during magical workings and are ruled over by the Sun God and the Moon Goddess. Each element has a dragon named after it, such as the Fire Dragon which is called upon for strength. Draconic Wicca is not very well known but has been growing steadily for a number of years. It is mostly found in Asian countries, but it is also growing in America and Europe.
“Dwell on her graciousness, dwell on her smiling,
Do not forget what flowers
The great boar trampled down in ivy time.
Her brow was creamy as the crested wave,
Her sea-blue eyes were wild
But nothing promised that is not performed.”
Robert Graves - To Juan at the Winter Solstice
Gods & Goddesses
There are many Gods and Goddesses within Wicca; it just depends on which path of Wicca you have chosen to follow. And there are many different branches to the Wiccan tree, as there are in other religions.
Some Wiccans have the Roman Gods and Goddesses as their deities, some the Greek Gods and Goddesses and others the Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. Some worship Norse Gods and Goddesses, whilst others follow the Celtic tradition. The majority of Wiccans are Eclectic though; believing all ancient Gods and Goddesses are one and the same but with different names from different civilizations.
In Gardnerian teaching there is only one God and one Goddess, the God of the Sun and the Moon Goddess. This God is horned and is the God of the wild hunt and the keeper of everything wild, including animals, forests, woods, plants and trees. Usually named Cernunnos, he is part human and part stag with the antlers of a buck. In different traditions he may be called Pan who is part human and part goat with the horns of a ram. The Goddess is a triple Goddess; maiden, mother and crone. She gave birth to all things including the God who is her consort and helps sustain life on earth. In spring the triple Goddess is the maiden, young and fertile. In summer and early autumn she is the mother and in late autumn and winter she changes to the crone. Her cycle begins again at the turning of the wheel in spring, when she reverts to maiden once more.
You should choose what feels right to you. If you have more of an affinity towards Egyptian Gods and Goddesses that is fine, but if you feel closer to the deities of ancient Greece then that is fine too. The Gods and Goddesses you choose to follow are up to you. When you have chosen those you feel closest to, learn all you can about them. There are many books written on the ancient Pagan Gods and Goddesses and there are numerous excellent websites too.
The Gods and Goddesses may be worshipped and/or asked to help in your spell workings or seasonal rituals. If you were to do a fertility spell then you would call upon the fertility Goddess of your particular path or choosing. If you were doing a love spell then you would chose a God or Goddess of love to help you depending upon the pantheon you have chosen.
We make offerings to Gods and Goddesses to show our love and gratitude to them. They give us so much we like to give a little back to them, and this is especially important when we ask for anything during spell work. Remember everything is about balance; if you are bestowed with a gift after you have asked for it in spell work you should give something back to keep the balance. The offerings are something to honour the God you chose to work with whilst doing the spell work; for example, if it was the Goddess Persephone, the Greek Goddess of Spring, then we would give her flowers. We don’t only offer gifts to the Gods if they help us though; we also give them gifts on our altars on special days such as a Sabbat or an Esbat as an offering of gratitude.
Wiccans have a very close relationship with the Gods. They are not some almighty powerful entity in the sky that will smite you if they are not happy with you. They are more like our allies, our friends. The Gods and Goddesses created humans and love us, and they want us to succeed and be happy, but they also like to be worshipped and acknowledged as it gives them strength. They have flaws just like we do; they did make us in their own image after all. They can be